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End Captivity

Capturing and keeping whales and dolphins in captivity is deplorable. They are highly intelligent. They live in complex societies. But they are taken from their homes, separated from their families and confined for human ‘entertainment’.

Morgan, held in captivity at Loro Parque in Tenerife, Spain.C Robles

WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT TO END CAPTIVITY FOR GOOD

Even though captive whales and dolphins are kept in an environment free of predators, pollution and other threats, they die young.

Around 3,000 whales and dolphins are held in aquaria, zoos and marine parks globally. Help us create a better future for these amazing, intelligent creatures.

WDC is working on three key areas that we believe will ultimately bring an end to this cruel practice.

WE ARE:

1. Creating sea sanctuaries where whales and dolphins held in captivity can be relocated to live more natural lives if they cannot be returned to the wild

working with Merlin Entertainments on a project to rehabilitate and retire captive belugas to a natural sea pen

providing expert advice on other potential sanctuaries around the globe

2. Stopping the supply of whales and dolphins to captive facilities

stopping airlines transporting whales and dolphins from Japanese drive hunts to cut the supply of whales and dolphins to parks

pressuring governments to ban the capture of wild whales and dolphins for display

exposing welfare issues and cruelty associated with breeding in captivity

Cathy Williamson leads WDC's international End Captivity team. Cathy is a leading expert in whale and dolphin captivity, live captures and trade. She has a background in environmental science and policy and has headed WDC's End Captivity programme for nearly two decades. Cathy started campaigning on behalf of whales and dolphins at the age of 11 when she wrote to the government of the Faroe Islands asking them to stop the pilot whale slaughter.